Ice tray



J. H. MINER Nov. 12, 1940.

ICE TRAY Filed May 10, 1937 s azmziner,

Jfa

Patented Nov. 12, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 9 Claims.

One object of the invention is to provide means whereby the ice cubes can be dislodged or broken away from adhering to the walls of the tray by exerting pressure longitudinally of a grid located in the tray, and having partitions or fins which sub-divide the tray into ice cube compartments.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a tray embodying the invention, the parts being in their normal position of rest.

Fig. 2 is a plan view with the grid having been moved or stressed in a direction towards the right in relation to the tray.

Fig. 3 is a plan view with the grid stressed or moved in a leftward direction relative to the tray.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the tray.

In the drawing l indicates a metallic tray of elongated form having side ends and bottom 80 walls, the sides being slightly flared upwardly and outwardly in relation to each other. This tray is fairly rigid in its structure, the side walls not being intended to be spread wider apart from each other than their normal relation. The grid,

however, is intended to be moved slightly length wise of the tray, for which purpose any suitable lever device may be employed, the one shown having contact with a center bar 2 of the grid which also comprises the laterally extending fins 80 or partitions 3. The lever is indicated at I. It passes through an opening in the center bar or partition 2 of the grid, is fulcrumed at 5 by engaging any suitable projection on the upper edge of one of the side walls of the tray, and the 85 handle portion 4a. of this lever extends, as does the main body of the lever, in a direction transversely of the longitudinal dimension of the tray.

By operating this lever towards the right as in Fig. 2, or towards the left as in Fig. 3, the grid 40 will move in a corresponding direction. At the ends of the tray and bearing on the end walls thereof, yielding members 6 are located inside the tray, said members, however, extending only part way across the space at the ends of the 5 tray, leaving blank spaces 1 at the diagonally opposite corners of the tray. These yielding pieces may be made of rubber. The center bar or partition 2 of the grid is adapted to bear with its ends upon these resilient members.

50 When the lever is moved towards the right as in Fig. 2, the right hand end of the center bar of the grid will move towards the right hand end wall of the tray, and, of course, the partitions or fins of the grid will likewise move towards the is right and exert pressure upon the ice cubes, By

reason of the fact that the area or the space occupied by the resilient member 6 is devoid of ice, and because these members which occupy this iceless space or spaces are of a yielding character, the end ice cube is capable of having slight movement towards the adjacent end wall of the tray to occupy the space left by the deformation of the resilient body 6, and this slight movement of the end ice cube will be sufilcient to crack it loose from the wall of the tray. The pressure exerted 10 upon the ice cube tends to turn it about a vertical axis because a portion of the cube within the area of space 1 bears upon the end wall of the tray, and acts as a pivotal point.

It will be seen from this that the cubes are subjected to more or less of a twisting action to free them from the walls of the tray. The fins or partitions of the grid may yield slightly and the ice cubes will also be cracked away from adhering contact therewith. The ends of the center bar where it contacts with the yielding members may have a broadened surface portion to get a suflicient area of contact with the yielding members.

Broadly speaking, it will be seen that the ice 25 tray is provided with means on its interior whereby a certain cubical space is rendered devoid of ice, and that by exerting force for moving or stressing the grid lengthwise of the tray, the ice cubes are permitted to have slight responsive movement just as though the spaces referred to were unoccupied because the members which actually occupy these spaces are of a yielding character, being formed of rubber, and thus permit the movement of the ice sufliciently to effect its dislodgment from adhering contact with the walls of the tray.

As before stated, the walls of the tray are substantially rigid, though the sides of the tray may yield slightly.

A pin may be employed at X so that when the lever is moved the tray wall may be flexed slightly.

It will be understood that if the yielding members of rubber extended clear across the end of the tray, then only shifting of the grid and ice cubes along a straight line parallel with the longitudinal center of the tray could be effected, but by shortening the rubber members to leave unoccupied spaces at the diagonally opposite cor- 5 ners of the tray, the cubes are allowed to have a slight twisting movement, and only a slight movement is required to release the cubes from frozen engagement with the walls of the tray.

It will be seen from theabove that broadly considered the invention concerns means whereby a portion of the interior space of the tray is rendered devoid of ice by occupying said portion of the space by means of yielding character, which when pressure is exerted in the proper direction, will allow the ice to be moved against said yielding means, whereby the ice would be cracked from its frozen connection with the tray member or members.

The invention is not limited to an arrangement whereby the yielding means extends only part way along the wall with which it is associated, and whereby a slight twisting action is attained, but may be embodied in a form where pressure of the grid in a direction parallel with the sides of the tray will effect a breaking of the ice away from the tray members. In other words, the invention in its broad aspect concerns the i use of yielding means for occupying part of the space which otherwise would be occupied by the ice. The result of this occupancy by the yielding means afiords an arrangement whereby the ice is prevented from bearing directly upon the wall of the tray, and is movable toward said wall when pressure is applied to the ice in a direction towards the said yielding means.

It will be understood that the dislocation of the end cube will be followed by dislocation of all the cubes in the tray, owing to the movement of the grid.

The lever I is removable from the grid, the end of said lever at the fulcrum 5 passing through an opening large enough for itsremoval as indicated in dotted lines of Fig. l. The lever may be employed to lift the grid out of the tray by first partly withdrawing laterally of the tray to release it from the fulcrum 5 and then lifting it. The pin X will be omitted -when, as above stated, the walls of the tray are substantially rigid.

I claim:

1. An ice tray having a grid membertherein, said tray having a portion of its interior devoid of ice forming space, said space being occupied by yielding means, and means for moving the grid member towards, and the ice against the resistance of, said yielding means whereby the ice will be broken away from the walls of the tray.

2. An ice tray having therein and carried directly thereby a member of rubber or the like occupying space that otherwise would be occupied by ice, a grid member and means for moving the grid member relative to the tray and against the yielding resistance of said member to loosen the ice, substantially as described.

3. An ice tray according to claim 1 in which there are a plurality of said yielding means receiving pressure from the grid when moved in opposite directions.

4. An ice tray according to claim 1 in which the yielding means extends only part way along the wall of the tray, leaving a portion of said wall free to have the ice frozen thereagainst.

5. An ice tray according to claim 1 in which which the grid is composed of a center bar and lateral fins or partitions, said center bar bearing on the yielding means.

6. An ice tray having a grid therein with yielding means located within the tray in such a manner that the ice contacts with the end walls only at the diagonally opposite corners of the tray, and along the sides of the tray, and means for moving the grid relative to the tray against the yielding resistance of said yielding means.

'7. An ice tray organization for refrigerators comprising a. tray member of elongated form and a grid member with means for moving the grid lengthwise of the tray towards an end wall thereof, and a yielding member carried by the tray bearing upon said end wall thereof and in turn borne upon by the ice which is moved by the grid.

8. An ice tray organization according to claim 7 in which the grid comprises a center bar extending lengthwise of the tray, provided with laterally extending fins adapted to yield when the grid is moved in the direction of the length of the center bar, substantially as described.

9. In an ice tray organization and in combination a tray member of elongated form, a grid made up of a partition or bar set up on edge within the tray extending in a direction lengthwise thereof and having fins extending therefrom substantially at right angles thereto, and with their outer ends adjacent the side walls of the tray, and a-yielding member carried by the tray and borne upon by the said partition of the grid, and means for pressing the grid lengthwise of the tray with said partition member engaging said yielding means.

- JAMES H. ll/iINER. 

